Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Sorbitan Diisostearate
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Sorbitan Diisostearate natural?

Yes. Built from natural sorbitol-derived sorbitan and oleochemical isostearic acid.

INCI nameSorbitan Diisostearate
CAS68238-87-9
FormulaC42H80O7 · 697.1 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockSorbitol dehydrated to sorbitan, esterified with isostearic acid,…

How we scored it

Sorbitan (natural, from sorbitol) diesterified with isostearic acid x2 (branched C18, oleochemical natural origin). No petrochemical fragment. 1.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

How it’s made

Acid-catalysed ring closure of sorbitol (intramolecular SN2). Sorbitan is the ring at the core of every sorbitan ester and polysorbate. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the scores for the whole family.

Where it comes from

Sorbitol dehydrated to sorbitan, esterified with isostearic acid, typically from tall oil or vegetable oleic acid. Standard oleochemical process.

In plain English

An ester of plant-sugar-derived sorbitan and isostearic acid, used as an emulsifier.

CosIng definition: Sorbitan, diisooctadecanoate

Structure

2D structure of Sorbitan Diisostearate

[(2R)-2-[(2S,3R,4S)-3,4-dihydroxyoxolan-2-yl]-2-(16-methylheptadecanoyloxy)ethyl] 16-methylheptadecanoate

PubChem CID 118856081 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Sorbitan Diisostearate. PubChem CID 118856081. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SORBITAN DIISOSTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SORBITAN DIISOSTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SORBITAN%20DIISOSTEARATE